United States presidential election, 1856

The United States presidential election, 1856 was held on 4 November 1856. The election revolved around the slavery issue, with the Democratic Party candidate James Buchanan and his running mate John C. Breckinridge supporting popular sovereignty and states' rights, while the new Republican Party's candidates John C. Fremont and William L. Dayton supported abolitionism and resisting the spread of slavery. Millard Fillmore and Andrew J. Donelson ran as the candidates of the Know Nothings, a xenophobic party that sought to replace the Republicans as the primary opposition party; rather than arguing about slavery, they sought to divert attention to anti-Catholicism and anti-immigration. The Republicans made good progress in the election; if they had won two more states, they could have won the election. The disastrous administration of James Buchanan and the ensuing American Civil War ensured that no Democrats would be elected to the presidency until 1884.

Results

 * Conservative dot.png James Buchanan/John C. Breckinridge - 174 votes
 * Liberal dot.png John C. Fremont/William L. Dayton - 114 votes
 * Independent dot.png Millard Fillmore/Andrew J. Donelson - 8 votes